Year: 2025
Type: editorial
Abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells are a small yet powerful lymphocyte population to fight off bad cancers and control cancer metastasis if being conditioned correctly.1 Beyond direct cytotoxicity against tumours or other abnormal cells, NK cells also play a significant role in regulating adaptive immune responses by producing key immune-priming cytokines such as interferon-γ (IFNγ) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) to facilitate dendritic cell (DC) maturation.2 3 NK insufficiency could contribute significantly to cancer progression, metastasis and poor responses to ongoing immunotherapies.4 Differentiating from T cells, NK cell activation is controlled by its surface receptors through two major but mutual non-exclusive mechanisms: downplaying the inhibitory pathways by disengaging its surface inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) to the MHC I molecule on target cells (missing-self) and/or evoking the activation pathway by engaging the activating receptors to the induced ligands on tumour cell surface (induced self).5
Source: BMJ Oncology
Author: Jennifer Wu
Institution: Northwestern University
Language: English
Subfield: Immunology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Funder: National Cancer Institute
OpenAlex ID: W4409181726